Facts on Freshwater Plants

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Facts on Freshwater Plants

Overview

Freshwater plants are categorized as floating; submerged, which means all of the plant grows under water; or marginal, where only the roots grow under the water line. Plants native to monsoonal areas are often terrestrial during the dry season and aquatic during the wet season, but most are adaptable to year-round aquatic growth.

Oxygenation

Plants use light, nutrients in the water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen. When the plant releases the oxygen it dissolves directly into the water making it available for fish and beneficial bacteria.

Water Clarity

Plants are very efficient at removing toxins and other nutrients from the water that might be harmful to fish and animals. They help reduce algae and bacterial blooms from clouding the water.

Shade

Plants provide much needed shade for fish and other aquatic life. They prevent still spots in the water from overheating in the mid day sun and help regulating the overall temperature of the body of water.

Food

Many freshwater plants provide food for aquatic life by dropping fruit and seeds into the water. Herbivorous fish like to dine on tender underwater shoots that are usually highly nutritious.

Aesthetics

Plants add a natural aspect to a garden pond and help blend it into the surrounding landscape. The addition of a few aquatic plants to an aquarium can transform a plain fish tank into an aquatic jungle.

References

Benefits and Disadvantages of Aquatic Plants in Ponds

Picking Pond Plants

The Uses and Benefits of Aquatic Plants

Who Can Help

Aquatic Plants

Keywords:
pond plant, aquarium plant, oxygenating plants

About this Author

Brian Albert has been in the publishing industry since 1999. He is an expert in horticulture, with a focus on aquatics and tropical plants like orchids. He has successfully run an aquatic plant business for the last five years. Albert's writing experience includes the Greater Portland Aquarium Society newsletter and politics coverage for a variety of online journals.